British playboy convicted of murdering model by hurling her 'like a spear' from cliff top

A British-born playboy has been convicted of murdering his model girlfriend by hurling her from the top of a cliff.

Gordon Wood, 46, was found guilty today of killing 24-year-old model Caroline Byrne and now faces life in prison.

Miss Byrne's body was found 'wedged like a spear' at the bottom of the Gap, a notorious 100ft cliffside suicide spot at the entrance to Australia's Sydney harbour in June 1995.

Caroline Byrne was thrown from a cliff-top by British-born Gordon Wood (right), here seen outside the Sydney court ahead of the verdict

Prosecutor Mark Tedeschi, QC, told the Sydney court Miss Byrne could only have landed like that if she was thrown by a strong male.

A police rescue squad officer, Mark Powderly, said that the Australian model was found without injuries to her legs and torso - unlike any of the other ten to 20 victims he had recovered from the Gap.

'I have never had one that was wedged in a crevasse like that. In my mind it was just like a spear,' he said.

'In this instance, it was an amazing thing – the body had gone completely into the crevice.'

Perilous: The notorious suicide spot of The Gap at the entrance to Sydney harbour where Miss Byrne met her death

The defence had argued that the model was suffering from depression and had thrown herself from the cliff.

But Mr Tedeschi said that Wood knew where Miss Byrne's body was before the police or anyone else could see it – and he also knew that the body was found feet up.

He could only have known those things, said Mr Tedeschi, if he had been there when she was thrown to her death.

Today's verdict brings the curtain down for good on Wood's colourful, jetsetting lifestyle which included the purchase of a £1million chalet in the French Alps.

Fatal relationship: Caroline and Wood together

Wood was born in Bath, Somerset, but had emigrated from England to South Africa with his parents before the family moved to Australia.

There the tall, muscular fitness fanatic led a charmed life as an actor, an aerobics instructor and man-about-town with beautiful women on his arm.

But there were also claims that he was bisexual and had had a torrid affair with multi-millionaire stockbroker Rene Rivkin, for whom he was on 24-hour call as a driver.

Mr Rivkin has since committed suicide with a drugs overdose after being convicted of insider trading.

Caroline's father Tony Byrne with her sister Deanna and brothers Peter (left) and Robert leave court after the jury found Wood guilty

The jury was told during the three-month trial that Wood had killed his girlfriend because she knew too much about Mr Rivkin's personal life and business affairs.

The day before Miss Byrne's death, Wood and Mr Rivkin had been called to give evidence at an Australian government inquiry into unusual share trading in a printing company Mr Rivkin owned.

The jury was also told that Miss Byrne disapproved of Mr Rivkin because of his rumoured homosexuality and his intentions towards her boyfriend.

Miss Byrne's father told police his daughter's relationship with Wood had been breaking down and Wood killed her because he was worried she might start talking about Mr Rivkin's personal life.

Wood fled Australia as murder inquiries began to focus on him and was eventually arrested at a flat in London, where he had landed a job at NatWest bank with a fictitious work history as a financial adviser.

He was extradited to Australia to face the murder charge.

He remained composed when the guilty verdict was announced, but appeared shocked as he was led away to holding cells.

His lawyers said he would be appealing against 'the unreasonable verdict'.